Oobi (TV series)

Oobi (TV series)
Created by	Josh Selig
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
Production
Running time	22 - 23 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Nick Jr.
Original airing	February 2003 (2003-02)

Oobi (pronounced OO-bee) is an American children's television series. Based on an award-winning short-form series,^[1] the show is directed toward preschoolers. It currently airs on Nick Jr. (formerly Noggin). It was created by Josh Selig and produced by his company Little Airplane Productions.^[2]It is currently shown at 2:00am and 2:30am. It is the first show to be seen on Nick Jr.

Style

The characters are actually hand "puppets" wearing only eyes and sometimes hair.

The thumbs of the "puppets" are used to represent mouth movement, and the fingers flutter, clench, and make other movements to indicate emotions (when the thumb scratches the side of the hand, that symbolizes that the character is thinking or feeling confused.) The hands also serve usual purposes, such as holding objects and turning doorknobs. A majority of the characters are right-handed, but three (Mrs. Johnson, Mimi and Paula) are left-handed.

The speech of the characters consists of simple vocabulary and simple sentences. For example, "Uma, school, first day" is said in place of "It's Uma's first day of school" or "It's my first day of school."

Cast

• Oobi - Timothy Lagasse
• Uma - Stephanie D'Abruzzo
• Grampu - Tyler Bunch
• Kako - Noel MacNeal

Episodes

There are fifty ten-minute episodes of Oobi, twenty-five full episodes, and forty-eight shorts.

Concept

Oobi focuses on the everyday adventures of the "title" character, his younger sister Uma, his best friend Kako, and his grandfather, Grampu. It mirrors the life of its young audience, in which everything is new. The show is intended to build skills such as mathematics, early literacy, and logical thinking. The show is considered miraculous to some parents and caregivers of autistic children, who find the simple sentences easier to communicate.^[3][4]

During breaks between each episode (there are two per show) the characters leave their home to talk to real preschoolers. They interact according to the theme of the episode.

Main characters

• Oobi - The show's main character, a young four-year old boy in grade school. Oobi is curious, smart, thoughtful, kind and gentle. Voiced by Tim Lagasse As the main character he is in every episode created and has lots of starring roles, though some are occasionally centered on other characters, such as Uma or Kako. Oobi goes to Uma's school but they are in different classrooms (Seen in Uma Preschool). His appearance is pale and has four fingers pointing straight with his thumb under them. His favorite color is blue. Oobi's Car is the very first episode where Oobi gets angry or yells.

• Uma - Oobi's three-year old little sister. She loves singing, pretending, and chickens and turns four in "Uma's Birthday". Her catchphrases are "Nice" and "Pretty". She also says "Tasty-good" when she eats. She is the first main character to not come in every episode. She is seen with toddlers (Mostly when she is not in the episodes). Voiced by Stephanie D'Abruzzo. Her appearance is similar to Oobi's except she's smaller and she has a barrette. Due to Uma's young age, she has trouble pronouncing big words like "asparagus", "instrument", and "amazing". Her favorite color is yellow. Sometimes Uma gets so excited she runs right over Oobi. Uma appears to love going the zoo as seen in Neighborhood though she does not appear in Petting Zoo. An interesting note is that when Stephanie D'Abruzzo met Uma Thurman (whom the character is named after), the 2 had Uma take a picture with "Uma."

• Kako - Oobi's four-year old, excitable best friend. He usually wears a red cap or something red. His catchphrase is "Perfecto," the Spanish word for perfect. He can be seen without a cap in some shorts,Play Ball,and the cooking part of Make Pizza. He is the second main character who does not come in all the episodes such as Chopsticks Nature Walk and Dance though he is shown with toddlers. Voiced by Noel MacNeal. His appearance is brown and similar to Oobi's. His favorite color is red.

• Grampu - Oobi and Uma's wise and caring (and sometimes a bit unlucky) grandfather. His catch phrase is "Lovely." Voiced by Tyler Bunch. He is the second main character who comes in every episode except "Frieda Friend" and "Bubble Bath". His appearance is that he has all four-fingers curled up with his thumb over the middle finger. He has many female friends; in the episode "Theater!," he is visibly nervous when surrounded by several adult women in the audience (notably minus Inka). His favorite color is Green. In the episode "Piano Lesson", we see that Grampu is attracted to Inka, and he goes on to date her in several later episodes. Such as the episode, "Babysitter!", Grampu and Inka goes to a dance (which really is a date. Grampu and Inka do not kiss. But in the episode "Chez Oobi, they were eating a piece of spaghetti noodle and they almost kiss, but they were interrupted by Oobi and Kako.)

Other characters

• Inka  – Oobi's piano teacher and Grampu's love interest. Her catchphrase is "Beautiful". She always seems to be wearing jewelry, unlike any of the other characters, and has apparently never met Uma (Stephanie D'Abruzzo plays both roles). Her first episode was "Recital!". She has also came in "Chez Oobi!" and "Piano Lesson!". "Piano Lesson!" is one of her starring roles. Her appearance is similar to Grampu's, but her fingers are curled up high. She talks in an accent like Bella and like Grampu has possibly been to St.Louis due to her comments on it.

• Angus  – Friend of Oobi, Uma and Kako with a nervous demeanor and a bad case of stage fright. His eyes are underneath his hand instead of on top. He was seen in the episodes "Parade!", "Recital!" and "Theater!". In "Theater!", his stage fright is apparently gone. Angus also comes in the Halloween episode but does not show any signs of being scared or nervous because he tells Uma, Oobi, Kako, and Grampu to trick-or-treat at Mrs. Johnson's house because she gives out raisins. His slogan is gulping every time something's going to happen to him, as shown in the episode "Recital!". He is possibly a relative of Sophie and Sheila as a Sheila like character was seen in the audience in Theather.

• Ms. Johnson  – One of Oobi's neighbors. She owns a cat (named Kitty) and has one of the best-decorated houses on Halloween. She appears in the episodes "Superheroes!", "Theater!", "Parade!" and "Halloween!". Her appearance is that she is a fist with blue eyes, glasses, gray hair, and a red gown.

• Maestru  – Director of the singing group at the community center, and the "Little Red" play in the park. His index finger is always pointing upward, resembling a baton. He shows up on the episodes "Theater!" and "Sing!". "Sing!" is one of his starring roles besides Oobi and Kako. His name is a pun on the word "Maestro". His catchphrase is "Excelente", the Spanish term for "excellent".He is a strict man.

• Ray and Mimi - Other members of the singing group; their names are a pun on the Do-Re-Mi song. So far they only came in "Sing!". Their appearances are like Oobi's, but Mimi has brown hair and is left-handed and Ray wears glasses and has a little bit of goldish-brown hair. They often strive to be on Maestru's good side being his star pupils as for example when Oobi and Kako came and when they asked if they would come again showing their dislike.

• Amy - A deaf girl who befriends Oobi and Kako in the park in the episode "Sign Language!"; they call her the "Cup-Ball Queen".

• Tulla  – Oobi and Uma's dance teacher. She has only appeared in "Dance Class!". Appearance similar to Inka's, but she has brown skin and a deep voice. It is often debated between fans whether or not she is actually a woman due to her voice.

• Papu and Mamu  – Kako's parents. Kako's Mamu is shown with Grampu in the audience in "Theater." Papu makes dinner for Oobi, Kako and himself in the episode "Kako Dinner!," in which it is explained that Mamu is working late at the office. Papu also appears in "Halloween!." The parents' appearances are similar to Kako's, but they both have black hair, whereas Kako (as well as Oobi, Uma, and Grampu) is hairless. Mamu's voice is heard in "Sleepover!" telling Oobi and Kako to go to sleep (twice).

• Paula  – Uma's preschool teacher, she is left-handed and has blonde hair. She only appears in "Uma Preschool!".

• Moppy, Taro and Fred  – Uma's preschool classmates. Moppy is Uma's best friend. Fred has a pet hamster. Taro is the most creative and artistic of the four. Moppy has red hair, Fred has brown, and Taro has black. Moppy appears in both "Uma Preschool!" and "Check-up!" while Taro and Fred only appear in "Uma Preschool!". Fred is voiced by Noel MacNeal, like Kako. (NOTE: In the YouTube video series and Oobi spin-off "Oobi at Work", Oobi mentions a friend of him named Taro after mistaking a pink-and-yellow-eyed hand puppet for Taro.)Oobi has never yet met Taro or Fred because Taro is played by Oobi's puppeteer and so is Kako's.

• Bella  – Grampu's friend, a greengrocer who appeared in "Shopping!". She was also seen in "Theater!". She's a brown fist with her thumb under all her fingers. She appears the have a small crush on Grampu yet because of his relationship with Inka he doesn't return the feelings.

• Sheila  – A young mother of Sophie who Oobi and Grampu meet in the park. She has brown hair and pale skin. If the viewer looks carefully, he/she can see a similar character in "Theater!" (but this character is left-handed). She only appears in "Baby!". Due to her appearance in the audience it is assumed she could be a relative of Angus.

• Sophie  – Sheila's baby daughter, to whom Oobi babysits for one day and learns about babies. Sophie likes Oobi. She has pale skin and a tiny bit of brown hair. Only appears in "Baby!". Due to a Shelia like character being seen in Theater! it could be possible that she could be a relative of Angus.

• Frieda  – A young girl Oobi meets in the park. Unlike most other characters, Frieda is a foot. She wears a barrette like Uma. She appears in both "New Friend!" and "Frieda Friend!".

• Frankie - Frieda's friend, also a foot. He has a Southern accent and plays "Piggies" and "Shoes" with Frieda. Only appears in "Frieda Friend!". He is similar to Kako because of his voice and due to him and Kako both being played by the same actor.

• Randy  – Oobi and Uma's babysitter. Uma does not get along with him at first ("Randy not Grampu -- hmmph!"), but he wins her over after dancing with her doll to some polka music. He comes up with the nicknames "Oobi-Dude" and "Uma Zooma"; Uma in turn calls him "Randy Candy." He looks a lot like Kako but with black-brown hair with a small blue streak on one side and no cap. Only appears in "Babysitter!". He is clever and follows about 100 babysitting rules. It is unknown how old he exactly is but it is assumed that he is either a young adult or perhaps a teenager.

• Nick  – Waiter of a Chinese restaurant where Uma learns how to use chopsticks. Uma asks, "Nick Chinese?" but Nick specifies, "Nick Chinese-American." His appearance is his two fingers are high with his thumb under them while his ring and pinkie fingers are curled up. (NOTE: A character with the same hair color, black, and name, Nick, appears in the YouTube Oobi spin-off video series "Oobi at Work".)

• Dr. Rose  – Oobi's pediatrician and another one of Grampu's friends. She mentions that she has a brother. She teaches Oobi about health, like not eating too much junk food and getting a shot is important. Her appearance is like Kako's, but she does not have a red hat, she has black hair. Her catchphrase was "Wonderful". Only appears in "Checkup!".

• Chauncy - A boy Oobi talks with at Dr. Rose's waiting room, who says with a sniffle that the doctor is nice. (After Oobi finishes his appointment, he meets an apprehensive Moppy in the waiting room, and reassures her as well. Her father, Poppy, can be seen in the background reading a book). Chauncy's appearance is like Kako's, he has gold hair. Chauncy's voice sounds like Kako's. Only appears in "Checkup!".

• Super Oobi  - Oobi's superhero alter ego who appeared in "Superheroes!".

• Booma  - Uma's superhero alter ego who appeared in "Superheroes!".

• Kako-Man  - Kako's superhero alter ego who appeared in "Superheroes!".

• Great Grandmamu  - Kako's great grandmother appearing as a photo in "Kako Dinner!". It is unknown whether or not she is deceased though it is possible she could be due to a photo Kako has of her being in black and white.

Animals

• ^George – Uma's class pet, a guinea pig. Only appears in "Uma Preschool!".
• ^Oobi gets a pet turtle, which initially makes Kako jealous when a playdate becomes all about the turtle in the episode "Playdate!". The turtle reappears in a remember game in "Petting Zoo!".
• ^Kako has a puppy, which Oobi "puppy-sits" one afternoon—walking him, feeding him, bathing him, and playing with him.
• Kitty - Ms. Johnsons cat. He gets stuck in a tree in "Superheroes!" but is rescued by Oobi, Uma and Kako. She reappears in "Camp Out!".
• ^A pileated woodpecker can be seen in the episode "Freida Friend!".
• A seagull and fish appear in "Fishing!".
• A chipmunk appears in "Nature Walk!" along with an eagle.
• ^A hamster and goldfish in a remember game in "Petting Zoo!".
• ^A horse, pig and lamb in "Petting Zoo!".
• An owl appears in "Camp Out!".

Songs

• Theme song (performed by John Montagna)

Lyrics: Oobi's like me, Oobi's like you. -- Oobi's got a lot of big things that he's gonna do -- Uma's his sis, he's big, she's small -- Kako is his very best friend, Gramdpu loves them all -- Oh Oobi−Oobi Oobi Oobi Oobi Oobi -- He's got a lot to see, he's got a lot to do -- And he's always with you -- Kids: Noggin presents, Oobi. --- or --- Oobi: Oobi, you, friends. (giggles) ---

• Rockabye Lullaby (performed by Randy, Oobi & Uma in "Babysitter!")
• Trip Wow (performed by Uma, Oobi, Kako & Grampu in "Uma Trip!")
• Little Red Riding Hood (performed in "Theater!" by Oobi (Wolf), Uma (Red Riding Hood), Kako (Mother & Grandmother), & Angus (Woodsman))
• Get Better Uma (performed by Oobi & Kako in "Uma Sick")
• Neighborhood (performed by Oobi, Kako, Uma & Grampu in "Neighborhood!")
• Clean Room (performed by Oobi, Uma & Kako in "Clean Up!")
• Grampu Love Oobi (performed by Oobi and Grampu in "Fishing!")
• Uma sleep (performed by Oobi Grampu and Kids in "Uma Sick" "Uma Dreams!" and "Sleepover!")
• Happy Birthday Uma (performed by Oobi Kako and Grampu in "Uma's Birthday!")

List of Show Segments

• Dance! (01-01-2004)^[5] Grampu turns on a radio and Oobi, Kako, and Uma start to dance. (NOTE: This was included on a ''Blue's Clues: Shapes and Colors'' DVD.)
• Tag! (01-02-2004)^[5] - The kids play tag.
• Flush! (01-03-2004)^[5] - Oobi and Uma learn how to flush a toilet after using it.
• On & Off! (01-04-2004)^[5] - Oobi and Grampu learn how to turn things on and turn them off when not in use.
• Share Pretzels! (01-06-2004)^[5] - Oobi shares his pretzels with Kako and Uma.
• Watermelon! (01-07-2004)^[5]
• Soup! (01-08-2004)^[5]
• Hot Dog and Ketchup! (01-09-2004)^[5] - Oobi and Kako accidentally put too much ketchup on their hot dog.
• Prince Oobi! (01-10-2004)^[5] - Oobi, Kako and Uma pretend that Oobi is a prince.
• Bubbles! (01-11-2004)^[5] Oobi and Uma blow bubbles and experience the sizes of a bubble. (Grampu and Kako do not appear in this short).
• Empty and Full! (01-12-2004)^[5]- Oobi drinks all the juice out of a cup. Then Uma, drinks all the juice out of a pitcher. (Grampu and Kako are absent.)
• Popcorn! (01-13-2004)^[5] Oobi and Uma eat popcorn as they watch a video.
• Worm! (01-14-2004)^[5] Oobi and Kako are in Grampu's garden and they look for a worm.
• Apple Picking! (01-15-2004)^[5] Oobi, Kako, and Uma are going to pick apples, but they learn that they can't pick the apples themselves. So, they piggyback each other to get apples.
• Pretend Wind! (01-16-2004)^[5] - Oobi and Kako are out on a windy day and they pretend to be the wind by blowing on each other. (Uma and Grampu are gone.)
• Tea! (01-17-2004)^[5] - Grampu wants Oobi to drink tea, but he resists because he thinks tea is for grown-ups. (Uma and Kako are gone.)
• Ice Cream! (01-18-2004)^[5] - Uma wants to share her ice cream with Oobi, but it was actually unfair to have the whole ice cream. So Oobi teaches Uma how to divide treats in half. (Grampu and Kako are gone.)
• Water Games! (01-24-2004)^[5] - Grampu and the kids decide to play with water on a hot summer day.
• Guess! (01-25-2004)^[5] - The gang plays a guessing game.
• Bird! (01-31-2004)^[5]
• Cat! (02-01-2004)^[5]
• Puppy! (02-07-2004)^[5]
• Animal Cookies! (02-08-2004)^[5] - Grampu bakes animal shaped cookies with Oobi and Uma.
• Slide! (02-14-2004)^[5] - The kids play on the slide.
• Follow the Leader! (02-15-2004)^[5] - The kids play a game of "Follow the leader".
• Peekaboo! (02-22-2004)^[5]
• Alphabet Power! (04-04-2004)^[5] - The kids learn about the alphabet.
• Hide and Seek! (04-10-2004)^[5]
• Nature! (04-11-2004)^[5]
• Catch! (04-14-2004)^[5] - Oobi and Kako play a game of catch. (NOTE: Grampu and Uma are absent.)
• Music! (04-17-2004)^[5] - The characters make music together.
• Guitar! (04-18-2004)^[5] - Oobi learns to play a guitar.
• Bongo Drums! (04-24-2004)^[5] Grampu teaches Uma how to play bongo drums after seeing Oobi play his guitar. (NOTE: Kako is absent. Also, this is the only episode to feature something seen or mentioned before. In this case, that thing is Oobi playing the guitar.)
• Quiet Read! (04-25-2004)^[5]
• Clap Hands! (05-01-2004)^[5]
• Painting! (05-02-2004)^[5] - The characters make paintings.
• Macaroni Jewelery! (05-08-2004)^[5] - Oobi, Uma and Kako are bored of playing with their toys during a rainstorm so Grampu teaches them how to make macaroni jewelry.
• Paint Shapes! (05-09-2004)^[5] - The children paint shapes.
• Pinch Pot! (05-15-2004)^[5] - Oobi teaches Uma how to make a "pinch pot" with clay.
• Drawing Game! (05-16-2004)^[5] - Grampu is drawing a picture and the viewers try to guess what it is.
• Neighborhood Art! (05-22-2004)^[5]
• Toothpaste! (05-23-2004)^[5] - Oobi and Uma learn to brush their teeth.
• Feelings! (05-26-2004)^[5] - The gang learns about feelings.
• Cake! (05-27-2004)^[5] - Uma and Kako play a game where there are 3 cakes on the table.
• Wet and Dry! (05-29-2004)^[5] - The kids experiment with wet and dry items.
• Bubble Bath! (05-30-2004)^[5] - Oobi and Kako take a bubble bath. (NOTE: This is included on a Blue's Clues: Blue Takes You to School DVD.)
• Up and Down! (06-1-2004)^[5] - Oobi, Uma, and Kako throw dough in the air, but on their third throw, the dough lands on Grampu! (NOTES: This episode is included on a Dora the Explorer DVD titled "Meet Diego!". Also, the short inspired a scene in the Make Pizza! episode.)
• Shadow Puppets! (06-3-2004)^[5] - Oobi, Uma, and Kako create shadow puppets. They play a guessing game as Oobi makes a horse shadow puppet. After Uma and Kako find out what Oobi is making, Grampu accidentally scares the kids with his shadow puppet. (NOTES: This episode is included on a Blue's Clues DVD titled "Blue's First Holiday". Also, this short was featured as a game segment after Camp Out!.)
• Stop & Go! (06-5-2004)^[5] - Oobi and Uma play a game of freeze dance. (NOTES: This episode is included on a Blue's Clues DVD titled "Classic Clues".)
• Grampu Day! (06-20-2004)^[5] - Oobi, Uma, and Kako create a holiday called 'Grampu day' and they each make a special gift for Grampu to show how much they love him. Oobi makes a statue of Grampu out of clay, Kako makes food (which turns out to be rather disgusting since it is made from tuna, jelly and hot sauce) and Uma sings a special song as a present since she can not find any other present.
• Uma Preschool! (09-06-2004)^[5] - It's Uma's first day at preschool. Grampu takes her to preschool where she meets her teacher, Paula. At first, Uma does not want Grampu to leave, but Paula and her new friends, Moppy, Tarrow and Fred, help Uma feel comfortable. Soon, Uma is having the time of her life at preschool. (Kako does not appear in this episode.) (This is the first episode that shows an animal, and the first episode with other characters.)
• Dinosaur! (09-06-2004)^[5] - Oobi is excited to show everyone a storybook he just made called "The Lost Umasaurus." As he reads the story, we see the story played out in an Oobi-style dinosaur world. Together, the dinosaurs (Oobi-Rex and Dino-Kako) help Umasaurus find her way home to Grampusaurus. They soon find him and share snacks.
• Halloween! (10-25-2004)^[5] - Oobi and Uma go trick or treating. It is Uma's first Halloween, and after Oobi teaches her all the rituals, Uma takes Kako under her wing and helps him overcome his fear of Halloween.
• Superheroes! (10-25-2004)^[5] - Super Oobi (Oobi), Kako-Man (Kako) and Booma (Uma), three superheroes, are in the park. They pretend to fly around the park doing good, simple deeds. Finally, they come upon Mrs. Johnson's cat stuck in a tree. With Grampu's help, Super Oobi, Kako-Man and Booma help save the cat. (Ms.Jonnson cameos in this episode)
• Baby! (05-08-2005)^[5] - In the park, Oobi meets a mother named Sheila and her baby daughter, Sophie. He is fascinated. Sheila explains how she takes care of the baby and lets Oobi help feed her, change her diaper, and play with her. Oobi gets to hold a baby for the very first time and then rocks the baby to sleep. (Uma and Kako are completely absent)
• Shopping! (02-12-2006)^[5] - Grampu takes Oobi and Kako to the fruit store, owned by Grampu's friend, Bella, to buy some fruit. At first, Oobi and Kako make mischief at the fruit stand (putting too much fruit in the weighing scale and pulling an orange out of the bottom of the stack), but then Grampu helps them learn the importance of respecting other peoples' property. (Uma does not appear in this)
• Video! (02-12-2006)^[5] - Grampu suggests that instead of watching a video, the children make a video. Oobi and Uma are thrilled, and Grampu shows them how to shoot and edit a home video. They watch the completed video on the TV with Kako and eat popcorn.^[5] - Uma has a cold so Oobi and Kako spend the day trying to make her feel better. They cheer her up by making a card filled with things that Uma likes, then performing a 'get-better dance," but are discouraged to find that Uma is still sick. Grampu explains that what Uma really needs to do is rest. The boys sing Uma a beautiful lullaby until she falls asleep. Soon she is back to her healthy self and they play a rhyming game.
• Chez Oobi! - Grampu prepares a special dinner of spaghetti and meatballs for his date with Inka. The boys make it extra special by using some things they find around the house to turn the house into a fancy restaurant. They turn on lovely violin music on the radio and act as waiters. The date is very special for Grampu and Inka and they all have fruit tarts for dessert. (Uma does not appear)
• Playdate! (02-12-2006)^[5] - Oobi and Kako have a playdate. Oobi gets a pet turtle and forgets about Kako and the playdate they had planned. The boys plan to play, draw and sing, but Kako is annoyed and becomes jealous when the playdate becomes all about the turtle (Oobi plays a turtle game, he draws a turtle, and sings a turtle song). Oobi realizes that Kako's feelings have been hurt and he apologizes. Kako is now fond of the turtle and the boys have a great time together with it. (Uma is completely absent)
• Clean Up! (02-12-2006)^[5] - Oobi's room is messy but Uma is allowed to go out to play. Grampu asks him to clean his room before he can go out and play. After some hesitation, Uma and Kako decide that if they work together and help Oobi, they can get the cleaning done quickly and then enjoy the beautiful day together.
• Grown-up! (02-12-2006)^[5] - Oobi, Uma and Kako imagine what it would be like to be grown-ups. Oobi and Kako say, "Grown-ups cool," but Uma insists, "Kids cooler." They dress up and pretend to be grown-up (firefighters, musicians and business people) and do all kinds of grown-up things. In the end, they decide it's much more fun being kids, even after Oobi sees an astronaut.
• Valentine! (02-14-2006)^[5] - Today is Valentine's Day, Oobi and Uma follow hearts to find their mystery valentine. Kako delivers Valentine cards to the neighbors. Later, Oobi and Uma find the last heart and the mystery valentine turns out to be Grampu dressed as a heart!
• Babysitter! (03-13-2006)^[5] - Grampu and Inka go out for an evening of polka dancing, but Uma is disappointed that she's not invited to go. Oobi and Uma meet their new babysitter, Randy, a friendly and playful person. Uma initially resents Randy and is cold to him because he is not Grampu, but his silly polka dancing with her doll eventually wins her over. 267 268 269 270
• Sing! (03-13-2006)^[5] - At Oobi's house, Oobi and Kako hear an opera song called "Welcome To Rosslyn Airport!" and they decide to join a singing group at the community center. At first, they fool around and sing "Welcome To Rosslyn Airport!" instead of what the other singers, Ray and Mimi are singing, Row Row Row Your Boat. The singing teacher, Maestru, helps Oobi and Kako understand "same song always".
• Recital! (03-13-2006)^[5] - Oobi is about to perform Twinkle Twinkle Little Star at a piano recital at the community hall, organized by Inka. He is very confident at first, but when he makes a mistake during his performance, he panics and runs offstage. Kako has a heart-to-heart talk with Oobi, and persuades him to try again.
• Sign Language! - Oobi and Kako meet a friend a girl named Amy in the park. They want to play with her, but they run into a problem: she is deaf. Grampu helps them learn sign language to communicate with her.
• Nature Walk (03-13-2006)^[5] - After being bothered by their noisy neighborhood (sounds from a Garbage truck, Jackhammer and Car horns), Grampu takes the kids on a nature walk, where Uma becomes excited to see an eagle. They use a checklist to check off the things they see: some flowers, a chipmunk, but no eagle. Just as they are about to leave, Uma spots the eagle.
• Checkup! (03-13-2006)^[5] - Oobi goes to see his pediatrician, Dr. Rose, for a check-up. Oobi is nervous at first (especially when he hears that he is getting a vaccine), but the doctor's kindness and bedside manner helps puts Oobi at ease.
• Rainy Day! - After the rain spoils their plans, the boys reluctantly join Uma to find a rainbow. They have fun catching rain drops and splashing in puddles and then Uma finds a rainbow.
• Neighborhood! (03-13-2006)^[5] - Oobi and Kako build a small version of their neighborhood out of boxes and paint. They give Uma a tour and explain the functions of various buildings and occupations (showing her a library, post office and zoo). Uma loves the tour, and they all sing a song about their neighborhood.
• Uma Trip! (03-13-2006)^[5] - After playing with her toy vehicles, Uma decides she wants to take a trip. She packs a small suitcase, and enlists Oobi and Kako to help make costumes of an airplane, a train and a boat. Oobi, Kako, and Grampu each give Uma "rides" on these "vehicles" to the kitchen where Grampu has made a special snack for the kids: Brownies.
• Theater! (03-13-2006)^[5] - This is a musical version of "Little Red Riding Hood". The production is staged in the park with Grampu and the neighbors in the audience. Maestru directs and plays his keyboard. Uma plays Little Red Riding Hood, Oobi plays the wolf, Kako plays the mother and grandmother, and Angus steals the show as the woodsman.
• Chopsticks! (04-10-2006)^[5] - The family goes out for Chinese Food. A nice waiter named Nick shows the family how to use chopsticks. With persistence, Uma overcomes her frustration and finally learns how to use chopsticks.
• Parade! (04-10-2006)^[5] - After seeing a parade poster, Uma wants to be in a parade. With home-made costumes and floats, she leads Oobi (as a float) and Kako (as a one-man band) in their very own parade. They march around their block singing with all the neighbors watching.
• Uma Dreams! (04-10-2006)^[5] - Grampu puts Uma and Oobi to bed. Uma falls asleep and has a nightmare. She wakes up and tells Grampu her dream. Grampu helps Uma get back to sleep and she has a good dream. She wakes up in the morning, and happily tells her family all about her good dream.
• Fishing! (04-10-2006)^[5] - Grampu takes Oobi fishing. Oobi learns a bit about patience, and finally catches a fish. At first, Oobi is thrilled, but then he feels bad for the fish and persuades Grampu that they should set the fish free. Oobi and Grampu enjoy their special day together, regardless of the fact that they return home without any fish. Oobi suggests a can of tuna fish for dinner, which Grampu accepts.
• Kako Dinner! (04-10-2006)^[5] - Oobi goes to Kako's house where his dad, Papu, prepares a very special meal. Oobi hears new music (like maracas), tries new foods (like okra), and learns a new dance.
• Kako's Puppy! - Kako asks Oobi to puppysit his puppy. Oobi learns that puppies are more than just cute and cuddly, they are also a big responsibility. Grampu helps Oobi walk, feed and wash the puppy. Kako is impressed.
• Dance Class! (05-08-2006)^[5] - Oobi and Uma take dance lessons and learn that practice is the only way to become good at something. Oobi, Uma, and their teacher, Tulla, celebrate their new moves with a fabulous dance party. Grampu feels the beat and joins in as well.
• Oobi's Car! (05-08-2006)^[5] - While Oobi is helping Grampu fix the sink, Uma plays with Oobi's favorite toy car, but forgets Oobi's words to be careful and she accidentally breaks off one of its wheels; when she tries to fix it herself with her toy tools she just makes the toy worse, breaking other parts of the car (the door and hood). Despite her apology, Oobi is furious. Grampu explains to him that Uma is sorry for what she did, that Uma is little and that accidents happen sometimes. Grampu and Uma fix the car and Oobi forgives her, especially after she fixes the squeaky wheel.
• Uma Bathroom! (05-08-2006)^[5] - Oobi, Uma and Kako share an enjoyable day together playing in the mud. Later, Uma refuses to take a bath while the boys get clean. After she has played various tricks and diversions to avoid it, Grampu finally convinces Uma to take a bath.
• Uma Swing! (05-08-2006)^[5] - Uma is excited to be at the playground. She wants go on the swings, but ignores Oobi's warnings about being careful, then falls off and hurts herself. She then starts crying and becomes afraid of the "bad swing." Oobi helps Uma regain her confidence by having fun on other equipment until she is ready to enjoy the swings safely.
• New Friend! (05-08-2006)^[5] - A day at the park with Grampu becomes very special for Oobi when he meets a four-year-old girl named Frieda who looks very different from him. Oobi learns that differences are good and new friends come in many shapes and sizes.
• Frieda Friend! (05-08-2006) - Oobi & Uma are at the park. Oobi spots Frieda, he goes over there to play and is introduced to her older, Southern-accented friend Frankie. Oobi does not know how to play with them (Since he's a hand). Uma tells Oobi that it's okay to be different and even points out some things that they have in common. (Grampu is completely absent)
• Make Art! (06-05-2006)^[5] - After being inspired by Grampu's painting, the kids decide to make art together. Oobi struggles with what he would like to make. Uma uses circles for her art and Kako uses colors for his. Finally Oobi has a breakthrough when he realizes that art can be whatever he would like it to be: he uses cheese, toothpaste and flowers to make a collage.
• Make Music! (06-05-2006)^[5] - The kids decide to start their own band and try to find some instruments. Kako blows into a bottle and Uma hits a pot. Oobi tries spaghetti and eggs, but none of them make music(he ended up getting tangled in the spaghetti and dropping the eggs after Kako accidentally startles him). He starts to feel frustration, but then discovers that he is an instrument and can make a sound by clapping his hand with Grampu. Soon they are all making music together.
• Garden Day! (06-05-2006)^[5] - Grampu teaches the kids how flowers grow and gives them a seed to plant. At first they have a hard time waiting, but after much waiting they see a sprout emerge from the soil.
• Sleepover! (06-05-2006)^[5] - Oobi goes to Kako's house for a sleepover. Uma misses Oobi terribly, and she also is disappointed that she's not invited. Grampu does his best to make Uma feel better, but the only thing that works is a phone call and a lullaby from Oobi.
• Camp Out! (06-19-2006)^[5] - Grampu takes Oobi, Uma, and Kako camping in the backyard. Oobi is scared of sounds until Grampu shows him that the sounds of the night are nothing to be afraid of after he shows Oobi the source of the sounds: a cat, an owl and the screen door. Later, Uma and Kako get scared of a sound until Oobi shows them its source: Grampu snoring.
• Pretend Circus! (06-19-2006)^[5] - When the kids learn that they can not go to the real circus, they use their imaginations to play pretend circus. Kako is the ringmaster and Oobi and Uma become elephants, acrobats and even imagine Grampu as a hilarious clown going "Oopa-Doo!"
• Showtime (06-19-2006)^[5] - Oobi and Kako decide to put on a puppet show. Uma wants to help, but after she messes up helping the boys make their costumes, they ask her to watch instead. In the end, Oobi and Kako realize that in order to have a successful show they need Uma's help to pull the string that opens the curtain. (NOTE: The scene in which Uma glues Kako and Oobi's lips together was shown on E!'s What Your Kids are Watching because parents could think that Oobi and Kako were kissing on purpose.)
• Build Fort! (06-19-2006)^[5] - Oobi and Kako build forts out of blue square and yellow circle blocks. They fight about whose fort is best. But Uma and Grampu say separate forts are no fun, making Oobi and Kako forgive each other and the two combine their forts.
• Piano Lesson! (07-03-2006)^[5] - Oobi has his first piano lesson with his new piano teacher, Inka. Inka teaches Oobi he must relax and practice in order to play the piano. Grampu appears to be infatuated with Inka.
• Uma Chicken! (07-03-2006)^[5] - Oobi, Kako, and Uma play Old McDonald and pretend to be farm animals. Uma will not stop pretending to be a chicken (clucking, pecking at her food instead of eating it and sitting on a baseball and pretending it's an egg) until she finally comes face to face with a real live chicken. After finding the real chicken to be not much fun, she decides she would rather be Uma after all.
• Uma's Birthday! (07-03-2006)^[5] - A big surprise birthday party for Uma's birthday becomes more about the party and less about Uma. Uma becomes a little overwhelmed with too much surprises, presents, cake, games and dancing. Once she retreats to her room, Grampu, Oobi, and Kako realize that Uma would prefer a small party.
• Petting Zoo! (07-03-2006)^[5] - Grampu takes Oobi and Kako to the petting zoo and the boys are afraid of the horse. They pet some of the animals, but their biggest excitement comes when they get over their fear of the horse and join Grampu for a ride. * Asparagus (07-17-2006)^[5] - Uma does not want to try asparagus so Grampu and Oobi pretend it's a train, a tree, and even make it disappear with a magic trick, but all their attempts fail. Oobi convinces Uma to take a small taste and she discovers she likes it a lot.
• Play Ball! (07-17-2006)^[5] - Kako becomes frustrated with T-ball and refuses to play. After Oobi learns the basics of Kako's handclapping game, Oobi teaches Kako the fundamentals of T-ball. Kako gets a hit and we also discover that Uma is a T-ball natural. Grampu gets hit by a ball struck by Uma, but is very proud of her in spite of it.
• Haircut! - Oobi wakes up with a wild patch of hair. At first, he tries to hide it with a flower, but his hair is revealed when Uma pulls the flower away. Then he and Kako try styling it but Oobi is not satisfied. So then, he and Grampu go to the barbershop for a haircut. At first Oobi is scared but he soon overcomes his fear and happily returns to his old bald self.
• Make Pizza! - Grampu teaches the kids how to make pizza, but there's trouble making the pizza. (The kids throw the dough too high that it got stuck on the ceiling and then fell on Grampu! Then they used real tomatoes instead of tomato sauce). When the pizza was ready, they ate all of it, leaving none for Grampu but make it up to him by making him another pizza. (NOTE: The scene in which the kids through dough in the air was inspired by the previous short, Up and Down!).

References

1. ^ Parents' Choice Foundation 2001 Gold Award
2. ^ "Oobi Does It," Newsweek, October 1, 2004
3. ^ Adventures in Autism: Chandler Loves Oobi
4. ^ Foggyrock: Oobi
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp} Oobi: Episode Guide at msn tv